20/20 Interview with Nathan Powell

The DLF Team Posted On December 30, 2020

This week, behavior therapist, podcaster, and writer, Nathan Powell, gave us a few minutes of his time so you could get to know him just a little bit better.

Where are you from?

Originally Tampa, currently in Northern Virginia

What do you do for your regular job?

Behavior therapist for children with Autism Spectrum disorder.

What is the worst job you have ever had?

Stocking shelves at Publix (Grocery store) overnight, I am the furthest thing from a night person and I had never done manual labor for work and haven’t done it since. Truly, the worst few weeks of my life before I quit.

What is the best job you have ever had?

I would have to say my current one.

What do you consider your dream job?

I graduated with a degree in Mass Communications with hopes of becoming a sports broadcaster or writer with a backup plan of teaching journalism. I spent my first year out of college applying for journalism jobs as well as fantasy analyst jobs and working as a substitute teacher with some part-time writing in fantasy football as well. After a year of that, I began working at a charter school for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I quickly fell in love with the work and realized that sports and journalism were no longer my long term plans. I am currently a Registered Behavior Technician and my dream job is to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, which is hopefully just a few months away with me graduating with a Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis this coming May.

How long have you been in the industry?

I wrote my first fantasy football article in the 2013 off-season. It was about the fantasy football impact of Steven Jackson joining the Atlanta Falcons.

How did you get your break into fantasy football?

Fantasy Football Warehouse, the redraft subset of the now-defunct Dynasty Football Warehouse. They were asking for writers, I sent them a sample and they brought me on and I wrote for them for two years before I asked Ryan McDowell if I could join the DLF family.

What tool do you use the most on DLF?

It’s likely the most popular response, but it has to be ADP. It’s the best way to show value in the industry: more so than any trade calculator.

What tool do you use the most outside of DLF?

Rotoviz Game Splits app, it’s the best way to find out how players play with and without certain teammates or circumstances.

Who was the best sleeper you pegged that broke out?

Most of my best sleepers are players people have given up on too quickly. I picked up Tyler Boyd off waivers after his second season.

Who was your biggest whiff?

There is a long list of big and tall wide receivers in the early-mid 2010s that are all whiffs. Justin Hunter, Michael Floyd, and Cordarelle Patterson.

What is the worst trade you have made?

This one particularly hurts because it was with my Co-Host on the Dynasty Tradecast and it has only gotten worse as time has gone on. April 2019 in an attempt to consolidate a roster that didn’t have roster space: Chris Godwin/Curtis Samuel/2.10/2.12 for Alshon Jeffery/2020 2nd/2021 1st/2021 3rd.

Who is your favorite underfollowed Twitter account?

One of our senior writers at DLF, Bruce Matson is one of my favorite fantasy Twitter follows and he is criminally underfollowed.

Who is your favorite NFL team?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Who is your favorite college football team?

USF Bulls

Who was your favorite player growing up?

Peyton Manning

Who is your favorite player of all time?

Mike Evans

What other hobbies or passions do you have outside of fantasy football?

I love trivia. I spend an inordinate amount of time watching trivia shows or playing trivia games.